Boat propelling device



zgmwss Jan. 7, 1936 A. GRANGER BOAT PROPELLING DEVICE Original Filed Oct. '7, 1953 e I INVENTOR 4! IE 1| IIIIIIIIIIIIIII4 A 10 BY 9 QMM 2QQA ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES z zasss PATENT OFFICE Application October 7, 1933, Serial No. 692,599 Renewed June 4, 1935 4 Claims.

This invention relates to propulsion means for boats, and particularly to the manually operated type of vessel commonly known as row-boats, though the use of the invention is not limited to 5 their operation, as will be evident hereinafter.

The principal object of my invention is to provide water engaging propelling members or paddles, constantly submerged and permanently mounted on the boat for reciprocating movement 10 lengthwise thereof, and a means operated by the occupant of the boat with arm movements corresponding to those necessary with car manipulation, for thus reciprocating said members. I have also mounted the members so that on their retracted stroke they automatically offer a minimum of resistance to the water, corresponding in their action to the feathering of cars, without however necessitating raising the members from the water and. without any conscious effort on the 20 part of the operator. It is therefore possible for any one to operate this mechanism without any knowledge or experience in rowing being necessary.

The propelling paddles project below the bot- 25 tom of the boat so that they will seldom if ever be exposed in the trough of waves of a size which are liable to be encountered and they will always operate with a maximum efiiciency. In view of this positioning of the paddles another object of the invention is to so mount the members that without removing them from the boat they can be instantly and easily raised so as to clear the bottom level of the same and thus permit the boat to be beached without damage to the mechanism. 35 A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such 40 structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

45 Fig. l is a perspective outline of a row-boat showing my improved propelling mechanism mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one unit of the mechanism as mounted on the boat.

50 Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 but showing the unit on the opposite side of the boat.

Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, here are two propelling units, operable separate from each other and mounted on opposite sides of the boat. Said units are duplicates of each other and each comprises a shaft l extending alongside the boat intermediate its ends and adjacent its bottom 5 edge. At its ends the shaft is turnably mounted in bearing brackets 2 secured to the hull 3 of the boat. The shaft is held against rotation by suitable means operableat will by the person occupying the conventional rowing seat 4. Such means is here shown as comprising an arm 5 projecting outwardly from the shaft l adjacent one end, to which is connected an upstanding pull arm 6, which projects above the top of the boat. Suitable cooperating catch elements 1 on the boat and arm 6 maintain the latter in a raised or lowered position. The purpose of this arrangement will be seen later.

Slidable but non-turnable on the shaft I is a sleeve 8, shorter than the shaft between the bearings by an amount equal to the maximum propelling stroke desired. Paddles in the form of rearwardly facing cups 9 depend from the sleeve in spaced relation lengthwise thereof, said cups being hingedly suspended from the sleeve as 5 shown at I0 for movement in a vertical plane. The cups are prevented from movement beyond a vertical position in the direction of the bow of the boat by suitable stops H on the back of the cups and the adjacent portion of the sleeve. In the opposite direction the cups are free to move up to a horizontal position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The sleeve is reciprocated any distance along the shaft as the operator may find convenient by a vertical hand lever 12 disposed alongside and extending above the boat and pivoted intermediate its ends on a bracket I3 secured to the boat. At its lower end the lever is connected by a link M to a collar l5 turnable on the sleeve but held against movement along the same. This arrangement enables the shaft and sleeve to be rotated without affecting the link or lever.

It will therefore be seen that if the levers of the two units are pulled toward the operator (who as usual faces the stern of the boat) the cups or paddles will forcefully engage the water causing the boat to be propelled ahead. As the sleeves are retracted by the opposed movement of the levers the cups fold up of themselves against the pressure of the water so as to offer a minimum of resistance. The opposed levers can be operated symmetrically or may be alternated in their movement as is sometimes done in rowing and depending of course on the desire of the operator. To steer the boat it is only necessary to hold one lever stationary and pull on the other one. If it is desired to beach the boat the arm 6 is pulled up which rotates the shaft 1 and the non-turnable sleeve 8 thereon so that the cups are raised outwardly of the boat to a level above the bottom thereof as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. Since the collar 15 to which the lever link I4 is attached is turnable on the sleeve and of course concentric with the shaft I it will be seen that rotation of the shaft and sleeve for the above purpose does not in any way affect or strain the link.

From the above description it will be seen that While the levers are here shown and described as being intended for hand manipulation but it may be made of mechanical design to apply power means to the levers or to the links to operate the same without disturbing or affecting the other features of the apparatus or the meat of the invention.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention What 'I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Boat propulsion means comprising a shaft extending lengthwise of and mounted on a boat alongside and adjacent the bottom thereof, a

sleeve slidable on the shaft, means to reciprocate said sleeve, paddle elements depending and supported from the sleeve, the latter being nonturnable on the shaft, and means applied to the shaft to rotate said shaft and the sleeve as a unit so that the elements are turned outwardly and raised a predetermined distance.

2. Boat propulsion means comprising a shaft extending lengthwise of and mounted on a boat alongside and adjacent the bottom thereof, a sleeve slidable on the shaft, paddle elements depending and supported from the sleeve, a lever upstanding alongside the boat and pivoted intermediate its ends thereon, a collar turnable on but non-movable along the sleeve, a link between the lower end of the lever and the collar, and means to rotate the sleeve so as to turn the elements outwardly and raise the same above the bottom level of the boat.

3. Boat propulsion means including paddle elements extending transversely of the boat on opposite sides thereof, means supporting the elements for movement lengthwise of the boat and for independent outward and upward movement in a transverse vertical plane, means ap plied to the elements to reciprocate the same, and separate means to move said elements outwardly and upwardly of the boat without disturbing said element reciprocating means.

4. A structure as in claim 1, in which said last named means comprises a radial arm on the shaft, an upstanding arm pivoted on said radial arm and extending alongside the boat, and releasable holding means between the boat and said upstanding arm.

ALBERT GRANGER. 

